Let's Talk About Chronotypes And How This Can Affect Sleep
Do you know about biological chronotypes?
This is the tendency to either be a morning person or a night owl.
Owls = eveningness
Larks = morningness*
* (Biss, 2012; Randler, 2010; Bailey, 2001).
Little ones are natural larks until their own chronotype emerges - it usually doesn't settle onto one or the other until adulthood.
If, as a parent, you’re more of an owl and yours and your little one’s chronotypes don’t match up, then it can feel really difficult and you may find waking up earlier even more challenging and tiring than someone who is more of a lark.
Here are some practical suggestions to help:
Try bringing your own bedtime earlier in increments of about 15 minutes or so over a period of time until you’re getting an hour extra sleep at the beginning of the night: the slow increments will work better with your circadian rhythm and are more likely to work over just jumping into bed a whole hour earlier. (to give your body clock time to adjust to the earlier sleep time)
Get outside for fresh air and daylight early in the morning to help reset your body clock
Avoid caffeine after 2pm
Avoid screens in the run up to going to sleep
Declutter your sleep space and remove anything stressful from your bedroom to help improve your sleep hygiene
Tell me, are you an owl or a lark? 👇
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